Dododex

ARK: Survival Evolved & Ascended Companion

The Arks: Alternative Timeline

ACT 6: Calm Before the Storm

This is a Theri exclusive story.

Written by Ben (OBJ)

You do not have to read TAOH to understand this story.

Author's Note: There's a discrepancy for General Moon's eye colors. One of her personality's is portrayed as red and green, and the other brown or green. I apologize for the continuity error. It should be red, blue, and green, to represent the three obelisks.

ACT 6: Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 16: Pigeon

“It’s all in the footwork.” - Captain Josh Swann

~

Pigeon stepped to the right, and swung at the man’s kidney. Albert merely weaved to the left, before swinging his torch at Pigeon again. Pigeon swiftly rolled underneath Albert’s flaps and then afterwards stabbed Albert in the calf. Albert let out a groan, and as he swung at Pigeon again, Pigeon slipped on his metal shield and blocked the impact.

CLANG!

The torch shattered into pieces, and Pigeon took his sword and swung at his wrist. His hand came clean off, landing in the snow and coating it in red. Albert clutched the stump of his hand. Albert grinned as he stumbled backwards. Pigeon’s sword glimmered, the blood dripping down the blade and onto the snow. Pigeon wiped the sword on his flak armor. Pigeon reached for his helmet and pulled it off. His dark green hair fluttered in the snow, and he squinted his eyes, slight pity for him. He had been a good fighter.

“You fought well, Albert,” Pigeon told him, “But your uprising ends. The Walkers of the Void live on.”

Albert scoffed.

“The Walkers do not deserve you,” Albert muttered, “You’re too good for them.”

Albert looked up.

“What are you waiting for? End it.”

Pigeon nodded.

“If you would like to challenge me again, you know where to find me.”

Pigeon slashed his sword.

As Albert’s body collapsed into the snow, Pigeon looked at his implant, seeing the death messages of his Argies and Austin. Pigeon sighed, looking up into the sky. He couldn’t get a break.

Pigeon trotted through the snow, exhausted both physically and mentally. That was his toughest battle yet, but the Goopers were defeated. Pigeon won again. He always won. Pigeon let out a huff, his silver tooth exposed. He thought about his only loss. It was General Moon who bested him, and it was General Moon who recruited him.

He remembered the day clearly. He was just trying to survive on his own. And she came to him, seeking him.

~

Pigeon was on an Argentavis, an Ankylosaurus in its talons, and approaching the Redwoods’ mountain, collecting metal when he heard violent flapping of wings ahead of him. Pigeon looked ahead to see a large Wyvern approaching him, a rider atop. Pigeon’s eyes widened. He quickly flew close to the ground, hoping that the rider wouldn’t notice, but it was too late. She was approaching him.

The Wyvern landed on the ground, and the rider dismounted, her fluttering white hair swinging back and forth. She had calculating, cold blue eyes. There was something off about her. As if she wasn’t supposed to be a part of this world. Pigeon hopped off his Argentavis. They were valuable tames. He could afford losing his kit, but certainly not his tames. He whistled, and his Argie flew away. He turned to face her.

“What do you want? I’m just minding my own business. Please move along,” Pigeon respectfully asked her. The woman stepped forward.

“I’ve been looking for you Pigeon,” the woman said, “I’m General Moon, and I’m with the Walkers of the Void. We want you to join us. You’re a strong combatant.”

How did she know?

“What do the Walkers want with someone like me?” Pigeon asked.

“That’s irrelevant. But you will make a worthy Captain. You will not regret it.”

General Moon’s implant flashed, and a request popped through Pigeon’s. Pigeon looked at it hesitantly. He enjoyed being his own boss. At the same time, he’d heard rumors about the Walkers of the Void. It was difficult joining and ever ranking up. This may have been his only opportunity.

Pigeon thought for a moment, then shook his head. He declined the request.

“I’m enjoying my life,” Pigeon explained, “And I don’t fancy violence.”

“That wasn’t a request, though,” General Moon glared, “It was an order.”

Pigeon clenched his fists.

“No means no-”

General Moon lashed forward, swinging a fist at Pigeon. Pigeon quickly ran to the side, his movement speed superior. Pigeon noticed General Moon’s glaring red eyes. General Moon swung her fists again, but Pigeon easily dodged. As she threw a flurry of punches, Pigeon noticed how much slower she was, and how much tired she had already become. What level was she? Had she even leveled any of her stats? It was absurd to him.

Pigeon smirked. So much for being a General. Maybe she was trying to start her own tribe and have him on her side. Pigeon pulled out his pike. Time to end the battle. He lunged forward and stabbed it at her, but she suddenly flickered away. Pigeon’s eyes widened. Where was she-

WHACK!

Pigeon’s head jolted to the side, and a tooth flew out of his mouth.

ZAAAAAAAPPP!

Then, he felt a jolt of electricity course through his body, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious, but not before feeling a pair of handcuffs on his wrist.

~

When Pigeon awoke, he was in a cage. He got up and realized all of his loot was gone, and he had nothing but the underwear he had woken up with. Pigeon bashed his strong, muscular body against the cage, but it barely shook. The air flickered in front of the cage, and General Moon manifested.

“Where am I?!” Pigeon barked.

“You’re in the Walkers’ base, up in the mountains,” General Moon smirked, pulling out a map and pointing at a marker. Pigeon sighed. This was it. Since Pigeon refused to be a part of the tribe, he was too much of a threat, and thus, must be contained.

General Moon shook her head.

“Like I said, I need you as a captain here. You’re one of the only capable people left,” General Moon said, “But, you saw what happened back then and right here and now.”

“You teleported,” Pigeon observed, “Do you have a Blessing?”

General Moon nodded.

“Yes. I do. I bought this account from one of the Five,” General Moon admitted, “That’s why I’m only Level 1. Now do you believe me? Will you join the cause?”

Pigeon thought, and then nodded.

“Yes.”

Moon lifted his hand, and then she and Pigeon shook hands.

~

Pigeon blinked his eyes, as he was thrown out of the memory. No more dwelling on the past. It was time to return back to base. Pigeon tried to trot through the snow, back to his Argentavis, but just a few more steps and his eye began to throb. Pigeon felt his face, and recalled Albert had taken his eye in the gruesome battle. Pigeon’s vision began to wane, and before he knew it, he passed out then and there.

Chapter 17: Sloth

General Moon pulled on Sloth’s ears, tugging him along with a glare through the hallways.

“You’ve caused enough trouble for me.”

General Moon led him to the prison, where she opened the door and then threw him in a spare cage. She locked the door shut, and then kicked the cage to the corner of the room.

BAM!

“There,” General Moon smirked, “Suffer for your insolence.”

Sloth sighed, crumpling onto the ground. General Moon looked off at one of the other prisoners in the room. A woman with piercing eyes. The woman smiled at General Moon, and General Moon scoffed.

“Have fun rotting in your cell.”

General Moon exited the prison, shutting the iron doors behind her.

There was a shift in the cell nearby.

“Hey.”

Sloth turned to face the woman who had smiled at General Moon.

“What do you want? Bug off.”

“You wanna get back at General Moon?”

“Yeah. So what? What can I do?” Sloth scoffed, “I’ll log off soon. There’s no point of staying around.”

“I have a plan.”

The mystery girl tossed a pickaxe over to Sloth. Sloth catched it, and looked at it.

“In an hour, we break out and tear this place down from the inside. I have weapons. Break down that cage until it’s almost on the verge of breaking. On his ‘mark’, we begin.”

“Whose?” Sloth asked. Ben shifted in the cell nearby, curious for the answer.

Mystery Girl looked down at the ground.

“A raid is imminent.”

Chapter 18: Mark

A meteor shower was hailing down upon the planet. A skinny, dark-skin man observed the phenomena with his hands behind his back. Mark sighed as he observed implosions occur across the wasteland. The ARKs hadn’t fallen down, and the old Walkers of the Void had failed in their conquest to defeat the King Titan.

Thundering footsteps echoed in the distance. Mark clenched his fist, his implant glowing bright. His levels flashed before his eyes. Level 999. Mark grinned as he looked up at the skies. Reports had shown that the Walkers of the Void had a change of leadership. His old archnemesis was gone. No more. So now Mark could do whatever he wished without interference.

He had been saving up levels and scheming for so long. It was about time he finally made a stand and take them down once and for all.

Mark walked up to a city terminal.

“It’s about time I take down your empire, Dan.”

Looking around at the chaos unfolding around him, stars exploded within his eyes. He equipped a shimmering ascendant red pike, and then transferred himself to the Island.